Guard
A guard’s job is to protect others and respond to trouble. Whether sentries in a fort, members of a city or town watch, caravan guards, or bodyguards for a nervous merchant, guards are trained to look for intruders or suspicious activity and respond with steel if violence is necessary. The Guard uses his trained defensive maneuvers to absorb damage for his allies. '''Role: '''Tanking '''Alignment: '''Any '''Hit Die: '''d12 '''Starting Wealth: '''5d6 x 10g '''Favored Class Bonus: '''Str +2, Con +3 Stats Abilities Class Proficiency The Guard is proficient with Simple and Light Martial weapons, and with all types of armor (Light, Medium, and Heavy). They are proficient with Shields. Damage Resistance (Ex) The Guard gains DR 2/-. This increases by 2 at 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter. Defensive Stance (Ex) Starting at 1st level, a Guard can enter a defensive stance, a position of readiness and trance-like determination. A Guard can maintain this stance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, he can maintain the stance for 2 additional rounds per day. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those gained from spells like Bastet's Blessing, do not increase the total number of rounds that the Guard can maintain a defensive stance per day. The Guard can enter a defensive stance as a free action. The total number of rounds of defensive stance per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. While in a defensive stance, the Guard gains a +2 bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, and Will saving throws. In addition, he gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class. He also gains 2 temporary hit points per Hit Die. These temporary hit points are lost first when a character takes damage, disappear when the defensive stance ends, and are not replenished if the Guard enters a defensive stance again within 1 minute of his previous defensive stance. While in a defensive stance, a Guard cannot move more than half of his movement speed or his stance ends. A Guard can end his defensive stance as a free action, and is fatigued for 1 minute after a defensive stance ends. A Guard can’t enter a new defensive stance while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter a defensive stance multiple times per day. If a Guard falls unconscious, his defensive stance immediately ends. Defend Ally (Ex) At 1st level, at the start of their turn, when a Guard is within 5 feet of an ally, the Guard can transfer up to 2 points of Armor Class to the ally (making his own Armor Class worse by the same number). This lasts until the start of the Guard's next turn. The maximum number of points he can transfer increases by 1 for every three levels beyond 1st. Guard Powers At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the Guard can choose a Guard Power to further enhance their Defensive Stance. You may find them here. Bravery (Ex) At 2nd level, a Guard gains a +1 bonus on Willpower saves and saving throws against fear effects. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 2nd. Armor Training (Ex) Starting at 3rd level, a Guard learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th and 19th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –5 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +5 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed. In addition, a Guard can also move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor. At 7th level, a Guard can move at his normal speed while wearing heavy armor. Martial Master At 5th Level, choose a single weapon you are proficient in. Gain a +3 bonus to Attack rolls with that weapon. At 15th Level, this bonus increases to +6. Fortification (Ex) At 9th level, a Guard can use his armor to shield critical areas from injury. He treats any armor he wears as if it had the light fortification special ability. At 15th level, his armor gains the moderate fortification special ability. This fortification does not stack in any way with armor that has these special abilities. In these cases, the Guard takes the better of the two fortifications. Improved Defensive Stance (Ex) At 11th level, a Guard's bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, Will saves, dodge bonus to AC while in a defensive stance increases to +3. Also, the amount of temporary hit points gained when entering a defensive stance increases to 3 per Hit Die. In addition, while in a defensive stance, he may move up to his normal movement without losing the benefit of the stance. Knock Over (Ex) At 13th Level, when a melee attack made against the Guard misses, the Guard can perform a Trip maneuver with a +4 competence bonus as an immediate action. Steel Defense (Ex) At 15th level, the Guard is capable of turning an otherwise lethal blow and continue the fight. When an attack that inflicts hit point damage from a natural attack, melee weapon, or ranged weapon would reduce the Guard to 0 or fewer hit points, he can make a Fortitude save (DC the attacker’s attack roll) to deflect the attack to his armor or shield (light, heavy, or tower shields only), causing it to suffer the damage in his place (apply item hardness as normal). If this would break the character’s armor, it gains the broken condition until it is repaired. The Guard cannot use this ability with broken armor or a broken shield. The Guard must be wearing armor or a shield to use this ability. Tireless Stance (Ex) At 17th level and higher, a Guard no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his defensive stance. If he enters a defensive stance again within 1 minute of ending his defensive stance, he doesn’t gain any temporary hit points from his defensive stance. Immobile (Ex) At 18th Level, the Guard cannot be forcibly moved from their spot. Combat maneuvers, effects, or spells that would normally move the Guard's position automatically fail to move the Guard. The Guard can choose if they want an effect to move them, however. Mastery - Indestructible (Ex) At 20th level, the Guard gains complete immunity to critical hits and sneak attacks while they are wearing armor. In addition, unless their armor has the fragile armor quality, it cannot be sundered while they are wearing it. Archetypes Category:Classes Category:Needs to be Edited